This disclosure relates generally to passenger restraint systems for use in vehicles, and more particularly, to portable add-on restraint systems.
Conventional vehicle restraint or seat belt systems combining a lap belt and an upper torso or shoulder belt to restrain an occupant or passenger in a vehicle are well known. These three-point restraint systems integral to the vehicle are usually used with seats offering rigid support for the belts. As typically used in a vehicle, the three-point restraint system consists of a single belt having its opposite ends mounted to a pair of retractors with a seat belt tongue connected to the belt intermediate to the belt ends. The tongue may be swung across the person and engaged with a buckle affixed to the seat thereby positioning one portion of the belt across the lap and another portion of the belt across the upper torso. In some systems, only one end of the belt is mounted to a retractor while the other end is anchored to the seat or vehicle. These seat belt systems are active restraint devices, generally requiring a passenger to positively engage the restraints about the person for them to be effective.
School bus passenger seats usually do not employ active restraint safety devices, but instead rely on a passive restraint seat design. School bus passenger seats are built to specifications conforming to the safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department Of Transportation (DOT). These are codified as 49 C.F.R. Ch.V, § 571.222, Standard No. 222 (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 222), and require that the seat back bend or deflect forward when a force is applied to the rear of the seat back. The code specifies a passive restraint system, and currently does not require any sort of active restraints, such as a two-point passenger restraining lap belt or the above-described three-point passenger restraining lap belt and torso harness combination. Rather, passengers riding the school bus are protected in head-on collisions by the seat back in front of them deflecting forward and absorbing some of their forward momentum.
Further passenger protection, from head-on and non-bead-on collisions and roll events, may be provided by active restraint systems. One such active restraint system might be a two-point lap belt restraint. Vehicles, such as buses, which require the passive protection provided by deforming or deflecting seats, present certain challenges regarding the integration of active restraint seat belt systems. In a school bus seat combining active and passive restraint systems, both of the restraint systems may need to be able to perform their functions and the seat may still need to conform to the regulations set forth in FMVSS 222, which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition to two-point active lap restraint systems, examples of vehicle seats designed to combine both active and passive restraint systems in conformity with FMVSS 222 are found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,485,098, and 6,886,889.
Two-point lap belt systems, or these new three-point lap belt systems may allow the use of various add-on restraint systems on buses or other vehicles. For example, torso harnesses, positioning harnesses, portable child seats and booster seats. For example, portable child seats for infants and children up to about 50 pounds and booster seats for children between about 30 and about 70 pounds, may be mounted to a vehicle for restraint of a passenger or occupant. Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,889 discloses supplemental restraint systems for use with a school bus seat in accordance with FMVSS 222. Examples of booster seats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,654 to Stroud, U.S Pat. No. 5,829,834 to Silverman, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,604 to Kain, which are incorporated by reference herein.
These add-on child restraint systems may be coupled to a vehicle seat using various connectors and anchorage systems. The federal government has mandated that child restraint anchorage systems be installed in most vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and certain school buses. These regulations, codified at 49 C.F.R. § 571.225 (FMVSS 225), incorporated herein by reference, require two lower anchorages and an upper tether anchorage of specified configuration, location and strength parameters. Similarly, 49 C.F.R. § 571.213 (FMVSS 213), incorporated herein by reference, specifies the dimensions of tether hooks used to attach a tether strap to a tether anchorage. Yet, there are pre-existing seats in school buses that do not have active restraint systems of any kind, or which might benefit from additional restraint systems of some kind. Disclosed herein are add-on or supplemental vehicle restraint systems configured to wrap mount to vehicle seats without the use of any lower anchorages, any upper tether anchorages, or the use of any active restraint system integral to the seat. These supplemental restraint systems may, but need not be compatible with FMVSS 222. Also disclosed are add-on vehicle restraint systems configured to mount to vehicle seats using one or more lower anchorages and/or one or more upper tether anchorage, alone or in combination with each other and/or with the other mounting configurations disclosed herein. Such add-on systems include those for use by occupants with special physical or mental needs. Further disclosed herein are add-on vehicle restraint systems configured to mount to a vehicle using, alone or in combination with one or more lower and/or upper anchorages and/or a wrap mount system, the two-point and three-point restraint systems integral to the vehicle. In addition, an add-on vehicle restraint system configured for simultaneous use by more than one occupant or passenger is disclosed.
The present invention may comprise one or more of the features recited in the attached claims, and/or one or more of the following features and combinations thereof. An add-on restraint system or restraining device may be mounted to the vehicle seat of any of a number of vehicles such as cars, school buses, tour buses, vans, SUVs, recreational vehicles (RVs), air planes, watercraft, and other vehicles or modes of conveyance, such as for example ski lifts, without limitation. The illustrative restraint system comprises a base such as for example a booster seat, a mounting assembly coupled or attached to the base and configured to mount the booster seat to the vehicle seat, and a restraint assembly coupled or attached to the base and configured to restrain a passenger positioned on the booster seat. The mounting assembly and the restraint assembly may be coupled or associated with one another. The booster seat may be configured to accommodate an occupant or passenger weighing between about 30 and 90 pounds. In one embodiment the mounting assembly comprises one or more flexible members that wrap around at least a portion of the back of the vehicle seat. In another embodiment, connecters attached or coupled to the booster seat may engage anchorages attached to the vehicle to mount the booster seat to the vehicle. In another embodiment, the booster seat may be configured to mount to the vehicle seat by receiving the vehicle's integrated seat belt system. In other embodiments, one or more of the above means of mounting the booster seat to the vehicle seat may be combined. For example the booster seat may be wrap-mounted and rigidly mounted using a connector attached to the booster seat, and or mounted using the vehicle's integrated seat belt system.
Thus, in another embodiment, this invention comprises an anchorage-mounted restraint system for use on seats found in such vehicles as for example cars, school buses, tour buses, vans, SUVs, RVs, air planes, watercraft, and other vehicles or modes of conveyance, without limitation. This restraining device may also comprise a mounting assembly, a booster seat, and a restraint assembly.
In yet another embodiment, this invention comprises a combination wrap-mounted and anchorage-mounted restraint system or restraining device and method of using same for use on seats found in such vehicles as for example cars, school buses, tour buses, vans, SUVs, RVs, air planes, watercraft, and other vehicles or modes of conveyance, such as for example ski lifts, without limitation. The restraint system may comprise a mounting assembly, a booster seat or base, and a restraint assembly.
The mounting assembly may comprise in any combination webs and connectors. The restraint assembly may comprise any combination of flexible, semi-flexible, rigid or semi-rigid restraint members such as for example webs, and associated tongues, buckles, and web adjusters. The restraint assembly may further comprise a torso support assembly. The restraint system or device may further comprise a lateral support assembly. The lateral support assembly may be positioned as desired. A positioning member may help to position the mounting assembly on the vehicle seat. The restraint system or device may collapse into a carrying case provided by the base, which may be equipped with a handle or other device configured to allow gripping and carrying of the system. The restraint system may be configured to restrain two or more occupants by providing a plurality of booster seats, mounting assemblies and restraint assemblies in combination. The plurality of booster seats may be rigidly connected when mounted to the vehicle seat. A cover may be provided to cover portions of the restraint system.
Also provided is a method of mounting an occupant restraint system to a vehicle seat comprising a back portion having a front and back surface and a seat portion having a top and bottom surface, with the back and seat portions defining a bight therebetween, comprising the steps of:
passing a first opposing end of a web over at least a portion of the top of the vehicle seat and down at least a portion of the front surface of the back portion;
passing a second end of a web over the top of the vehicle seat and down at least a portion of the back surface of the back portion and through the bight toward the front surface;
placing a booster seat on a portion of the top surface of the seat portion;
attaching the first opposing end of the web to the booster seat;
attaching the second opposing end of the web to the booster seat.
Further provided is a method of mounting an occupant restraint system to a vehicle seat comprising a back portion having a front and back surface and a seat portion having a top and bottom surface, with the back and seat portions defining a bight therebetween, comprising the steps of:                placing a booster seat on a portion of the top surface of the seat portion;        engaging a connector attached to the booster seat to an anchorage located in the bight of the seat.        
Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments and claims exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.